Into the Devil's Lair
by ladyblackfyr3
Summary: In the midst of his plan to finally rob his sister of her powers, Phobos gets sick and is dying. To cure himself, he needs to have a child, an heir capable of great powers, even greater than his sister's. To achieve this he needs to make a certain guardian fall for his charms. But can he really harm an innocent child? Or will his plans change once he knows that his life was a lie?
1. Chapter 1: It Begins

Hello! As promised, this is the first chapter of the new story I'm writing. There will be changes in the characters and the age are also adjusted to go with the story and I hope you won't mind if I'll make Cedric a little bit nicer. :)

* * *

 ** _Into the Devil's Lair: Chapter 1_**

 _Meridian..._

"You summoned me my prince?" Cedric said as he arrived in the Prince's gardens. He just came from his daily inspections of the lands and he rushed here when the servant told him that the Prince has asked for his presence.

It was here that the Prince would find his solace and would gather his thoughts. And for Cedric, nothing can ever be compared to the beauty of the palace's gardens.

For fifteen years, the prince has been drying the planet of its magic and his actions have affected the lands leaving a negative effect on living things around it. The soil can no longer grew crops and plants and it remained parched; the weather was always harsh thus it brought sickness and diseases over the people and the animals.

However this place was the only exception. No winds or storms can destroy the healthy alluring flowers that grew here. Each was different from each other, from the scent, shape and colors.

But the one that standouts from the rest was the rose- bloody red and intoxicating. It was the Prince's favourite.

"Yes. Are there any signs of the rebels in the villages?" The prince asked and then plucked a rose from the flower bed and took a sniff never bothering to look at his right hand that was currently kneeling behind him.

"No sire, apparently the scums know how to erase their traces." The lord replied, his eyes still fixed on the dirty soil. Even if he looks calm, the man was afraid. The prince does not like failures and empty handed results; he always wants to have something.

"We need to find where those filth are hiding and of course, I would like to see their leader. I will be the one to destroy him. " Phobos replied in a calm manner that surprised Cedric, and then the lord looked up when he heard the prince coughing harshly. When it stopped Cedric noticed the trickle of blood on the side of Phobos' lips.

"Are you okay my prince?" He said and tried not to show any emotions in his words. The man in front of him was feared by many but they haven't seen how this man behaved before he became a heartless tyrant. Phobos has always been arrogant since childhood but he wasn't this evil. However after his parent's sudden death, the young man became a ruthless monster, he usurped the throne and was about to kill his own sister if she wasn't rescued by some palace workers.

"I'm dying Cedric." The lord stifled a gasp as he heard his master's words. _Phobos dying? Impossible!_ He then thought. He never imagined that his master, his prince, a very powerful sorcerer would one day succumb to death.

"My prince?" He was lost for words. He does not know what he can say to comfort the prince who must have been suffering now. _Did a disease strike him?_ He asked himself. But he can't bring himself to ask the question. Phobos was a man of few words and doesn't like being asked.

"I talked to a seer earlier." The prince said as he wiped the blood from his lips. Cedric was very familiar with the Seer, she was an old woman who had the powers of predicting the future as well as many others he doesn't know. So the Prince visited the crazy old lady, but why? Is this even related to his current condition? "She said that I will need an heir." Phobos calmly said.

It took Cedric a while before he can reply to his master, his mind was currently full of questions but he does not know how to ask the young man in front of him.

"An heir my prince?" He asked. He was too surprised with what his master said. _An heir? A child?_ So the prince will finally decide to marry. Well, this custom should have been done a long time ago. What does a child have to do with all of this?

However, the thought of the prince marrying someone to have an heir is just unusual for the henchman. Then it came to his mind that the noble houses of Meridian is composed of different sorts of creatures; Galhots, shape-shifters and other sorts. He can't imagine the prince having a baby with those beings.

"I won't be marrying some sort of creature Cedric." The prince said and turned to face his disciple, Cedric winced, Phobos must have read his thoughts. "The woman said that the _lucky girl,_ the mother of the child…" he paused and emphasized the last words before continuing. "...will come to me soon, this seer also said that I will know that she is the one the moment I see her."

"The child's powers will then be enough to cure me, after that I shall drain its body up to the last drop." The prince said without any emotions and the snake-man gulped. That is the very ritual he will use for his own sister and Cedric knows that it can kill the child in the process. Bile formed in the back of his throat. "This child..." Phobos said as if tasting the words. "...is destined to have great magical abilities, even greater than me and my sister combined. I will need that kind of power to conquer the worlds."

Ah, the Prince's dream. The dream of ruling the worlds. Cedric can't sometimes understand his master's lust for power but for now, his mind is focus on Phobos' revelation; his current health status and of course about the child he mentioned. He lived with Phobos all his life and he became almost as evil and sneaky as his master but he was just doing his own job; to protect his master and do his bidding. He killed a many but those were enemies of the crown, he never once lifted a finger on an innocent child.

But this man in front of him, the dark ruler of Meridian, does not know any emotions except for hatred, greed, anger and lust for power. He doesn't understand what love and care is. And for the first time in years, Cedric felt scared for the child and its mother.

* * *

 _Heatherfield_

Cornelia's eyes opened at the first shrill sound of her alarm. She groaned as she looked at the time and covered her face with a pillow. It was Monday once again and she'll need to go back to school. It annoyed her because she wasn't able to sleep well last night.

She had the dream again. There was a man. A tall and pale man who was holding out a hand for her; he had a long silver hair that reaches his waist and his eyes… they were the coldest set of eyes she ever saw. And everytime she reaches out for him, his lips curved into a malicious smile and he suddenly disappears through thin air.

She had no idea who the man was and she was sure that she hasn't seen this man before. But she tried to keep the thoughts out of her mind. She had no time for men. She hated them. That is the reason why she was nicknamed as the "Ice Queen" because of her coldness to her suitors.

She was popular, yes, and she somehow likes the attention of men trailing after her. However she never imagined herself falling for one. High school boys are childish and they were never good enough for her. She had always pictured herself with a strong and mature man.

She sighed. Why was she thinking about men again? Shouldn't she focus on her studies first? Her mother always told her that if she becomes successful she would be able to pull a rich and handsome man to like her.

She stood up from her bed and went to the bathroom. Today they will have to present the results of their Science experiment. She was grouped with Taranee and Irma, and they need to confirm that too much fertilizer kills a plant.

To her disappointment however, the plant she tried to destroy have now grown a foot after she showered it with compost. She knew that Taranee would kill her if she will present a fully grown plant. Well, she had no choice. Either submit it or fail.

After taking a short bath, she wrapped the plant in a plastic bag and hurried downstairs where she found her mother cooking breakfast, her father reading a newspaper while drinking coffee and Lillian, her annoying brat of a sister had stolen a pancake from her plate again.

She didn't mind the action and just sat down at the table. Her thoughts were drawn to her mystery dream man again. One time, she had snuck into the library to read about dreams and she found out that dreaming of someone you don't know means that the person may be from your past or will appear on your future.

Since she hasn't met the man before then surely he has something to do with her future, but what will be his role in her life? Was he the man that she has been waiting for?

It didn't take her long to reach school after she finished her breakfast. Today was a cool day and she felt that it's going to be a nice day for her even if her experiment has failed.

"Cornelia!" She turned as she heard a familiar voice. Standing a few meters away from her was her best friend Elyon. She smiled as the girl hurriedly ran towards her.

"Hey Ellie." She said, calling the girl with her nickname which was so much better than what her other friends has nicknamed her, _Corny,_ what a stupid and classless name. Her parents should have given her a better name instead of Cornelia, not that she was complaining, Cornelia was a nice name very much feminine like her but people could easily make silly names out of it.

"So how was your experiment?" Elyon asked her and she frowned. She then showed Ellie the plant. Elyon just laughed.

"I guess plants love you so much that they can't bear to die in your hands." Elyon teased and she just scowled. Her friend's words however were true. Plants love her. She noticed that since she was young. Even in the coldest winters of Heatherfield, the plants on her balcony stood and grew healthy; they didn't give signs of cold and death.

"You can say that again." She answered as she saw Taranee waving at her. She grimaced when she saw the flower pot the girl was holding, the plant withered and was knocked out cold. And knowing Taranee, the girl would total scold her for not being able to do what was directed.

Taranee didn't notice the plant she had until they were now arranging it on the table. The judges would come any second now and she knew that she won't be able to do anything about it.

"Cornelia! Our project's supposed to prove that too much fertilizer reverses osmosis killing the plant!" Taranee exclaimed as she saw the foot long flower. Irma just shook her head and looked at the plant suspiciously.

"I tried to! I fertilized its little butt off!" She answered. She did everything she could okay? She had spent a lot of money buying fertilizer every day and she even thought that she had bought a sack of it but no, nothing happened and they were now bound to doom because of the stupid flower.

"The judges!" Irma exclaimed as she saw Principal Knickebocker along with some other teachers. They were headed towards their direction.

"Quick do something!" Taranee whispered. She and Irma then ran in front of the table to cover the plant. Principal Knickerbocker raised her eyebrow at them but just passed by. Using her umbrella, Cornelia tried to smash the poor flower but her effort was with no avail, the plant just grew back and even bloomed a flower. Disappointed she just stopped what she was doing.

"Oh great, you and your little green thumb are gonna cost us a ribbon." Irma sarcastically said and Cornelia just shrugged at the comment.

From afar Cornelia can see the group of Uriah Dunn, the school's trouble maker and his friends. They were currently teasing a red-haired girl, who was called Will. She just transferred to their school a month ago. She honestly didn't like the girl at all, yes, she was friendly but the girl had no sense in fashion!

She was comfortable with some pants and a usual pink jacket which was so out of the season! Who cares anyway? She, Cornelia Hale was the most popular girl in school, boys are falling for her and she was an ice skating champion and why would she waste a second of her time thinking about a new girl? It's not like the girl would be a competition.

"That's Uriah. Don't mind him." She heard her friend Hay Lin said. Aside from Elyon, she was also close to Hay Lin as they share the same love for fashion. Hay Lin loves designing and she had seen the girl's design and it left her awed. The girl has talent and she knew that Hay Lin was bound for success someday.

"Evolution did. One day we expect him to slither back into the water." Irma joked but no one paid attention to what the girl was saying.

"Oh Hay Lin, I got your note. Thanks so much for the invitation." Will said as she just turned to Hay Lin who was smiling widely now. Cornelia frowned as she realized what the new girl was talking about. Hay Lin had invited them for dinner in their family restaurant and she will be forced to interact with the new girl!

She had no choice however, either she won't show up or she'll miss the opportunity to eat at the Silver Dragon for free. The restaurant was famous for their delicious meals, all thanks to Hay Lin's amazing grandma Yan Lin.

The old woman would sometimes tell her granddaughter to bring some friends over and have free dinner. She often would go there to enjoy the food. She remained calm and just smiled politely at the new girl.

As soon as the school was over, they were now crammed at a private booth in the Silver Dragon. They were all stuffed. Yan Lin cooked orange chicken and some stir fried meat she haven't heard about.

"So Will, where did you to school before Sheffield?" Taranee asked Will after the meal.

"Hello. Who cares? Have you guys noticed a bunch of strange happening around me later?" She commented and the others just shrugged at her impoliteness. Well, that was okay! She refused to continue with this nonsense anyway!

"Oh wow! The conversation has accidentally wandered from Cornelia's life! Whatever were we thinking?" Irma commented as her hand was situated on the table supporting her head. Cornelia just snorted and the girls giggled at it.

"Enjoying your food?" From the door came Yan Lin, she was holding a box on her hand and placed it on the table. They shared their gratification to the old lady who just smiled at them.

"But the most important thing of all, how is Cornelia enjoying her food?" Irma again teased and Cornelia shrugged. It was then she realized that it was better to hang with tasteless girl than Irma. Irma would love to tease her the whole day without even stopping! She hated that!

Will on the other hand snatch a piece of fortune cookie from the plate she cracked it open and read the contents.

"You will make a new best friend." Will read the contents but no one paid her attention. Their eyes were focused on the box Yan Lin had placed on the table.

"What's in the box grandma?" Hay Lin asked the old lady. Cornelia found it unusual but didn't comment.

"Let me tell you girls a story that I believe will have a special meaning to all five of you." The old lady said as she stood in front of the table.

"Ah grandma, I think they are not really in the mood to listen to a story." Hay Lin chuckled nervously, embarrassed by her grandmother's actions but the old lady just gestured her to be silent.

"The universe was once a single kingdom ruled by good…." The old lady started and Cornelia felt that her hair started to stand as the room dimmed and out of nowhere some kind of hologram appeared. "but evil began to take root. A veil was created to isolate the evil kingdom of Meridian from all other worlds. Without the protection of this veil, every world including Earth is in grave danger."

The girls jaws dropped but no one said anything; they were just focused on the hologram in the air.

"Meridian has been overtaken by a powerful entity named Prince Phobos." Cornelia shivered as she heard the name and for some unknown reasons, her heart started beating widely. _Phobos._ The name sent tingles to her spine. "But he is not the legitimate ruler of the kingdom; they believe that the real heir to the throne is somewhere here on Earth." The lady said.

"Uhmm. I'd like to wake up now." Irma nervously said but the old lady didn't mind her. Cornelia became engrossed to the story and was now wondering about this mystery Prince. From what she has heard, he would probably be some sort of monster like creature unlike the ones she had heard from fairy tales; tall, dark and handsome and a knight-in-shining armor for some sort.

"But portals have begun opening in the veil. A doorway through which evil can pass through. There are people called guardians whose job is to close this holes using their powers." The old lady then snapped her fingers and the creepy hologram disappeared. Cornelia who was rather amused by the situation gasped as light hit back her eyes again.

"I became a guardian when I was your age." Yan Lin proudly said. _Guardians? Portals? Powers? Meridian?_ A lot of questions bug her mind and she found it hard to believe that earlier she was just having a normal life but then after Yan Lin's creepy fairy tale, she was confused if she was dreaming or not. Was she just hallucinating?

"But the duty is passing to your generation." The old lady finally said and Cornelia had enough of it. She refused to believe this madness!

"Whoa! Thanks for the snacks!" She stood up and immediately grabbed her bag, ready to go but Yan Lin gestured her to sit back down, which she weirdly followed. She then opened the unusual box and held out a crystal that emits a pinkish light. "This is the heart of Kandrakar." She said as if presenting a product to a customer. "Which contains the elementary forces of nature. In the last few days, you all had unusual experiences, am I right?" The old lady asked. Including this? Well, yes. She wanted to answer but for some reasons, her voice somehow left her.

"All five of you are starting to notice extraordinary abilities…" The woman then turned to Irma whose mouth was still open in shock and disbelief to whatever is currently happening. "Irma, I think you have noticed any water near you behaving strangely."

Without any words, Irma lifted the straw from the glass of water and the liquid floated on air forming into some sort of sphere. The astonish girl gasp and the water slid back to the glass.

"Taranee, I believe that you have always been afraid of fire but focus now on the candle." Yan Lin nodded to Taranee, who was now pointing a finger on the nearby candle that appeared out of nowhere. Instead of the candle however, it was the end of the banana that lit up. Irma immediately put out the fire using the water.

"My little Hay Lin, earlier you have noticed your powers over air." Yan Lin brought out a lantern and Hay Lin without further questions blow air into it. For a moment, Cornelia had thought that she was going crazy. Well, maybe the idea of going to the Silver Dragon was really bad. And she regretted it.

Yan Lin went outside for a while and when she came back, she had a pot on her hand. She placed it in front of Cornelia who just eyed it weirdly.

"And to you resolute Cornelia, the powers of Earth." Cornelia didn't know what's happening and her hand moved like it had a mind of its own. A flower sprouted out of the empty pot and bloomed afterwards. Her eyes widen in delight but she snorted as the pot suddenly broke. An ugly vine replaced the flower.

"Lastly Will, you have been chosen as the new keeper of the heart." The old lady turned to the red-hair and the crystal floated towards her. Will gasped. "You are that binds all the others and give them power." They all didn't comment as they can't find their voices.

"Will, Irma,Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin. You five have been chosen as the new guardians of the veil." The old lady said.

It's going to be a long night for her.

* * *

From the balcony of his room, Phobos eyes gazed at the vast lands in front of him. If the sorceress' words are true, his bastard would be a very useful tool to achieve victory but for now he will settle for search of her sister.

Her powers would be enough to sate his thirst for now. Then he would focus on the mystery girl, whom the seer has told her should be a part of the new generation of guardians, his grave enemies, the ones guarding the veil which was built to isolate him from the universe. Funny that he would need to make her fall for him and marry her to have a child.

Having a child was easy, he can just summon some concubines and voila, job done and after nine months he can drink his success but unfortunately no, the job wasn't just easy as he imagined it to be. The child should be born of magic as the seer had said. Its mother was blessed with great powers and combined with his, the result: a very powerful entity. But he does not care about having an heir at all, with these great magical abilities he can become immortal.

After draining himself with deep thoughts, he went inside the room and walked over the table to get some water, he raised the goblet but for a moment he stared at it with suspicion. Sometimes his powers of scrying tends to go faulty that he seem to be seeing things. His eyes caught the image on the water, two icy orbs were staring back at him, piercing his very soul.

He closed his eyes for a while and the image disappeared but somehow it was embedded on his mind as he can still remember the intensity of the gaze the unusual pair made him feel. It made him shiver but he chased the thoughts away from his mind. He sighed as he walked towards his bed.

Tomorrow is the start of his search for the lost Princess and he will never give up until he has all the powers of the universe and be its king.

* * *

I hope it didn't disappoint you. Please leave comments/ reviews about what you think! Thanks! ^^


	2. Chapter 2: The Deal with the Devil

_**Into the Devil's Lair: Chapter 2**_

* * *

Some few weeks later…

"Where is Elyon!?" The Earth guardian unceremoniously entered the Prince's favorite room- the throne room and immediately questioned him about her best friend.

Phobos smirked as he saw the blonde girl walking towards the throne, so the seer was right, the girl would really come to him after he successfully took his sister. For some reasons, he felt happy that this blonde was the one in the seer's vision, he the heartless regent of Meridian took a liking to this girl the first time he ever saw her. She was like a rose- delicate but thorny, fragile but dangerous.

Given that she was blessed with the powers of Earth, the strongest element of all; she can conjure earthquakes, break the earth apart and swallow and army, grew poisonous vines that can kill you in an instant- he was then sure that their offspring would be as powerful.

He stood up from his throne and playfully smiled.

"Well hello guardian, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" He asked mockingly and the girl just scowled. She stopped a few meters away from the throne and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. Those icy blue eyes, he somehow remembered seeing them in the past.

"I already said it, where is Elyon? What did you do to my best friend?" She angrily asked and wrapped her arms around her chest. _Such courage and attitude._ The prince thought.

"She is safe and sleeping at her quarters." He answered and just studied the girl's expression. He knew that this girl wasn't naïve. Cedric, after fighting with the guardians would often report to him the events afterwards, aside from that he also asks Cedric's assessment of the five- who is the strongest, who is the weakest, who is the wisest, the bravest, etc.

Cedric's comment about the Earth guardian didn't escape him. From what he had learned- the girl was haughty and stubborn. Her personality differs that of Elyon and he wondered why did the two girls grew close to each other given that they were best friends since they were young.

And from what he had observed few weeks ago, this girl was very determined with her goal to save Elyon. She already made unsuccessful attempts to save his sister from him but unfortunately (for them) and fortunately for him, his sister already closed her mind and wouldn't listen to her friends especially the Earth guardian.

"Hah! Safe! You can lie to Elyon, Phobos but you can't trick me. I already know all your ways- tyrant!" She snapped. Her words made him chuckle. She was like a tiger ready to pounce on her prey. He felt proud but somehow disappointed that this girl only stormed into his castle in some stolen clothing to hide her identity. He would love it if she took the Heart of Kandrakar with her- that way he would be hitting three birds with one stone- Elyon, the Heart and a bride.

"Tell me what you will do if you meet my sister guardian. Would you just grab her hand and ran away?" He evilly mocked. The girl who realized her mistake didn't even flinch at his words.

"Bravo. So now you noticed. Then why not attack me? Or you're just afraid to hurt another stupid girl, Phobos;" The girl pouted her lips and teased. He chuckled. So, this girl loves playing games. Then he will play with her until she realizes that it's dangerous to play with fire.

"It seems to me that Elyon is not the only reason you came here." He started. If she wants to play so be it. She would probably regret afterwards but now, he wants to toy with her. He wants to know how long she can keep up with him.

"Oh, so you're speculating that I'm here for something else? What would that be? To see you?" The girl shook her head while grinning. "Sorry but I already have a lot of boys in waiting Phobos, I don't have time for you. Besides you're not handsome enough."

"Really?" He asked and started to descend from the golden throne and the girl didn't even bother to run but Phobos can feel her fear. The guardian took a step back and Phobos' smile widen.

"Enough of your games monster! I want to see my best friend!" He chuckled when she finally cracked, well. It didn't take him long but he wants to play more and enjoy his toy. So he circled here for a moment and gained a curious eye from his uninvited guest. He finally stood behind her back.

"I can smell your fear guardian." He whispered behind her ear and the girl shuddered.

"I-I'm n-not afraid of y-you." She stuttered but he can hear the loud pumping of her heart and it made him feel excited. He seems to enjoy this little chat with the guardian. "I-I'm here to s-save E-elyon from your darkness."

"Hmmm. Do you really want to save your best friend?" He asked again not moving from his current location. His face where a few centimeters away from the girl's ear and from there he had a full view of her pale neck.

"Y-yes…" Cornelia spoke breathlessly. Satisfied with her answer, he straightened up himself and moved in front of her. Earlier she sounding breathless but now, her eyes were narrowing at him and somehow in an attack position. But he was not in the mood for violence, besides, the girl is the key to his problem.

"I would like to offer you a deal…."

* * *

 _'What am I thinking?_ ' Cornelia thought once she got back home from her trip to Meridian. The turn of events was not quite what she expected. Yes, she carelessly and secretly went to the palace in the hopes of finding her sister but when she wasn't able to find Elyon and got lost in the corridors, she found herself staring at the golden doors of the throne room, which that time wasn't guarded.

So instead of getting herself caught, she decided to enter the devil's favorite place. She found him there-alone and she felt relieved that the snake-man wasn't there. And for the first time Cornelia was able to talk to the current ruler of Meridian without violence. He didn't try to lift a finger and she didn't find his usual angry tone or his dangerous smiles instead she found herself talking to a normal but treacherous person.

Her mind then went back to their discussion earlier.

 _"I would like to offer you a deal in exchange for my sister's safety…" the prince began and Cornelia trembled at his words. A deal? What kind of deal was this man talking about? She remembered a T.V show she watched in the past, it was about Rumplestilskin arranging deals with other people. In the end, it was always the crocodile that benefits from the deals he made._

 _But then, that was a t.v. show and a work of fantasy… Her life for several days had also turned into one. After Yan Lin's supposed fairy tale, her life began to change dramatically. She became an Earth guardian tasked to protect the veil. Not only that, she lost her best friend to her evil brother- who by the way was the reason why the veil was raised. And now she is in front of the evil tyrant and she didn't even bother to bring a weapon to protect her._

 _She instead crossed her arms around her chest and just looked at the evil prince suspiciously. He was acting weird and she finds it unusual that there wasn't hostility between them. They were like friends who were separated and just met each other after a long time._

 _"Tell me about it..." She shrugged. She was interested with what he was about to say. She was ready to trade anything for her best friend's safety but of course if he asks for the Heart of Kandrakar, she'll decline. She may care for Elyon but she was not selfish to betray the others and the unfortunate residents of Meridian._

 _"I will send Elyon back to Earth-safe and her memories of this place will be erased but I will still drain her of her powers…." Huh. Evil can't really keep himself from behaving; he will really have to take away Elyon's magical abilities but then it was better than having Elyon murdered._

 _"And? What do you want to have in return?" She asked and the prince smiled slyly and gave her a knowing look. She found herself staring at the coldest set of emerald eyes she ever saw in her entire life, it was also very calculating. The moment she arrived inside the throne room, she already knew that the prince was studying her every move. But she manage to show a poker face, she showed him that she wasn't scared and she was confident yet deep inside her soul was trembling in fear._

 _"You. I want you in return." He replied and for a moment Cornelia didn't understand what he meant._

 _"What do you mean?" She tried to hide the curiosity in her tone but it came out anyways. The prince sighed._

 _"As you can see guardian, Meridian is a matriarchal society. People give power to the Queen and do not recognize a King as sole ruler." He explained._

 _"Get to the point…" She hated long stories, as much as possible she wants someone to be direct and frank._

 _"I want you to be my Queen guardian…"_

Cornelia sighed as she recovered from the memory. So instead of Elyon, Phobos wants her to be his captive or Queen rather. She wanted to laugh at the idea, she marrying a man at seventeen?

Yes, yes, she had dreamed of marrying a prince when she was young but the situation was different. Phobos- he wasn't a Prince riding a white horse ready to rescue a damsel in distress, he was a tyrant, a usurper, he was downright evil. Clearly, he wasn't her ideal man and he was the cause of her suffering.

He was the reason the veil was raised, he was the reason why the group of guardians were formed. He was the reason why her life tumbled in an instant. He had destroyed her childhood and now he wants to destroy her future. What can she expect from him if she'll say yes?

That's right; he even gave her the chance to think about it. To weight the things in her mind and how can she even explain it to her parents? She can't just say- _Oh, Mom, Dad, so I just learned from Yan Lin that I'm a guardian of the veil and few days ago I also learned that Elyon, my best friend was a Princess from the another dimension and she had an evil brother, and your daughter a girl who dreamed of becoming a hero went to this evil kingdom to save Elyon and guess what, in exchange for Elyon's safety I will need to marry the devil himself. Fun isn't it?_

But for the sake of everyone, Elyon, her friends, the people of Meridian, her sacrifice won't be fruitless. She would share the same power as Phobos or rather she'll be more powerful than him. Meridian honors women more so she'll totally overshadow him and he was just there for the title and powers nothing more. She'll be able to affect his decisions and maybe change the current situation of the planet.

Yet, will her sacrifice be worth it? What will she get in return? A crown? A chest full of jewels? Numerous elegant clothing? A lavish room? She doesn't need that. She was showered with these kinds of things since she was a child and even if she wasn't a princess, she clearly was contented with what she has.

Damn. She was too heroic for her own good! She wasn't naïve however and she knew she was the only one who can do this. Besides Phobos can't really force her to do something she doesn't want. She knew that he can't control her. She was wiser than anyone in her group.

With another sigh, she took the relic from her pocket- the seal of Phobos- he gave it to her earlier in case she finally decides on what she'll be doing- either save Meridian or save herself. She made a portal through thin air and after a few seconds, she found herself inside the castle grounds.

It was another dark and gloomy day in Meridian but she was used to the scene. She had been here several times and she will live here, hopefully not for all eternity.

She silently walked through the halls of the palace and it seems like the guards didn't even mind her at all. Maybe their master already has informed them of her future presence.

She took a deep breath when she finally faced the golden doors leading to the throne room. The two guards stationed at the sides moved to open the door for her and she tried her best to calm herself. Phobos mustn't see her in the state of hysteria.

The door opened and Phobos stood up as soon as he saw her, from afar she can see that he was smiling sweetly like he was already expecting to have a positive response from her.

"Cornelia, what a surprise! You came earlier than I expected." He seemed to be in a good mood at the moment.

"I came here to tell you about my decision." She spoke hastily without even saying hello- well, what's the point? It's not like they will be friends after this. He surely gave her no choice or rather she had a choice to escape her fate but she chose hell instead.

"And what is it?" Phobos asked and flashed a sly smile at her however the coldness of his eyes was still there and for some reasons, she knew that this proposal of his also had another reason; he surely wants something from her that's for sure. But she'll find out, she'll need to.

"I accept your proposal. I will be your Queen."

* * *

*The Rumpelstiltskin idea was taken from Once Upon a Time. ;P


	3. Chapter 3: Step into the Unknown

_**Into the Devil's Lair: Chapter 3**_

* * *

Five girls were currently seated quietly in the basement of a local restaurant. They were later joined by a young man with brown hair and green eyes and a smelly green creature. The leader of the girls, the red hair and the blonde one were currently arguing, the others just fell silent, their faces were masked with disbelief after the Earth guardian's confession.

"You what!?" Will asked in surprise. They were all gathered in the basement of the Silver Dragon after Cornelia told them that she had a very important thing to tell them. She said that it was necessary that they all will hear it, so the red hair contacted the other guardians and now they were seated on the small stools and the hot seat was on Cornelia.

After disappearing two days ago, the girl returned safely from Meridian and she became distant to the others. They all became worried and were relieved that she was okay. On the third day, she called for a meeting and now they were here but to the shock of everyone Cornelia's confession had a big impact on them.

"I already told you. I need not repeat it." The blonde shrugged and crossed her arms around her chest. On one of her fingers rests a diamond ring, which was evidently crafted by the best jewellers you can ever find. It was the size of a dime and you'll know that it costs a fortune.

"You can't be serious Cornelia! You can't marry Phobos!" Caleb blurted out. Everyone knew that Caleb has feelings for their blonde friend but the girl pretended to be blind. Apparently, Caleb wasn't Cornelia's type.

"Do I have a choice? Besides it's for the best! I just saved Elyon and everyone from Phobos' wrath and then I get what? This kind of treatment?" Cornelia snapped, her once chilly blue eyes were now blazing in anger, her chest rose and fall after yelling.

"Oh. Applause. Corny, our hero." Irma sarcastically commented and the Earth sorceress just glared at their friend. Only Taranee and Hay Lin remained silent but the fire guardian seemingly grimaced at the current situation, she doesn't like arguments.

"But what made you do this Cornelia? Why did you agree to his terms?" Will asked her friend again. The blonde's eyes fixed on the ground and Will can feel that she regrets her decision but she won't be able to take it back, she already struck a deal with the devil.

"I- I don't know. I just want to save Ellie." The girl's voice trembled and Will reached out to touch her friend's shoulder.

"We can't be sure about Phobos' motives. What did he tell you?"

"Well, he said he just wanted to have me as his Queen. He said that I'm free to do whatever I want and I can go back to Meridian and Earth from time to time." Cornelia answered and her face was still hidden from them. Will felt sorry for her friend, she may be new to the group but she can't hide the fact that she also became closer with the earth guardian. She knew that the decision was tough and Cornelia was right. It was the only choice they had and after she made the decision, Meridian's government seemed to change. Just a little bit, not really noticeable but it was a start.

"I wondered why he offered you this deal." Taranee finally had the courage to speak, she was adjusting her eyeglasses. Yes, that was also what she was thinking. She knew Phobos and the guy do not engage in empty-handed talks, his words would sometimes have hidden meanings. And his proposal to Cornelia was no different; she felt that there was something wrong with the deal.

"I think I'll just observe him. I think it's good that I'll be in the premises of the castle, that way I can spy on him and know what he really plans." Cornelia lifted her head and Will saw her eyes were again ablaze with determination. Of all the members of the group, Cornelia was the most determined one, she would always do her best to finish what she started but the young leader does not want to part with her good friend. With Cornelia's new responsibility they knew that the girl will be forced to live in the castle, she had mentioned about etiquette and history classes, and to cover her disappearance from her parents, she'll leave her astral double.

Yan Lin, their mentor didn't comment with the issue but Will knew that the old woman was also thinking the same, _why does Phobos want to marry Cornelia?_ They knew that it wasn't just a coincidence that Phobos offered the girl marriage the first time they were alone. She too was accidentally captured by his henchmen just a few days after they learned about Meridian but Phobos didn't offer her such thing. Not that she was jealous of Corny but who would want to be tied to a usurper?

She had passed the age of listening to fairy tales and certainly, girls dreamt of marrying a handsome prince- a knight in shining armor and not a dark one. She felt sorry that Cornelia has to experience this torment. Honestly, she would prefer Cornelia to have Caleb as her boyfriend. Caleb was childish yes, but he was more gallant than their _former_ enemy.

Then they decided to end the day and return back to their respective homes except for Cornelia who made a portal to Meridian. That night Will can't sleep, she wondered if her friend was okay in her new home. Cornelia was now playing a dangerous game, Phobos had no idea about his fiancée spying on him and feeding information to the guardians about his plans for the kingdom.

* * *

Phobos looked at his fiancée with curious eyes. They were currently eating in the lavish dining hall of the castle. Cornelia was sitting on the far end of the table while he was positioned on the opposite side. He can't help but notice the way the girl held herself. She was elegant and regal in many ways and he can conclude that the etiquette advisers won't have a hard time teaching the young girl.

He suddenly clutched his chest as he felt a weird sensation. He started coughing again and warily snatched the napkin on the table; he covered his lips with it and was disgusted to see the blood on it. Damn, his unknown sickness was getting stronger as time passes by.

For some reasons, he can't get his physicians to know what the cause of his sickness was. He had been coughing blood for the past month and then he finally decided to visit a seer- an old woman whose age he doesn't even know, she was known for having accurate visions of the future and he remembered his mother and father visit the old woman to see if they will be capable of having a daughter in the future.

The memory tasted like poison and he chose to forget it. This seer, told him that the only thing that can cure his sickness or rather stop him from dying was to absorb power not just the simple life force of people and magic of the lands but it must be great power equal to the heart of the lands.

But the seer had another vision, she told him of a girl- a guardian who would come to him after he abducts Elyon. She told him that this girl is capable of producing an heir- a very powerful heir whose powers would double those of Elyon's. And the child should be born an Escanor and not a bastard to maintain its purity.

Damn. He never thought that he'll need to marry this girl. The earth guardian was not as he expected her to be, she was just very stubborn, hot headed, haughty and determined. He would have preferred a naïve wife like Elyon but no, he was forced to suffer living with this girl and she was a total nightmare.

He knew that he will need to dispose of her in the future but somewhat he can't bring himself to do that. She may be a headache to him but her presence entertains him.

"Are you alright?" He woke up from his thoughts as he heard her worried voice or her soft tone rather. He wasn't sure if she was worried or not but for the first time, she spoke with him without hostility.

"Why guardian? Are you worried about my health?" He mocked and the girl just rolled her eyes.

"Why would I be worried? After you left me with no choice?" The girl snapped back and it made him chuckle. Such high spirits. He would love to break her in the future but now, he needs to have patience. The wedding preparations will take a month to finish, he'll need to wait for his sister to turn eighteen first for her powers to reach its zenith after that, he'll drain every drop of it and then he will focus with the capricious girl in front of him. Surely he won't die soon; he still wants to enjoy his bachelor life.

He never imagined himself marrying someone before; he was already content with the idea that he will one day become King. But after his sister's birth, it didn't change as he focused himself on finding the damned girl. Now that he found her, he won't let go until he had all of her powers.

"So tell me about your little meeting with your earth friends." He chose to open another topic. He needs to build rapport between them, gain her trust, make her fall in love with him but the girl's heart was just as hard as stone and as cold as ice. It will take him time before he can make her fall for him. _Patience. That's the key. Good things will come to those who wait._ He said to himself.

"Well, we talked about my decision and they didn't comment. However I'm warning you, try to touch them again or steal the heart of Kandrakar and I'll strangle you in sleep!" Her voice was full of anger and confidence and he just laughed at her. He already lost his interest with the Heart of Kandrakar, he already got her. "Anyway, about this damned proposal that I agreed on, I forgot to set my own terms." He raised his eyebrow with her statement.

Clearly the girl was really wise. Wise for her own good and he hated it.

"What is it?" He asked curiously and the girl just stared at him, calculatingly. This girl knows her games well.

"Elyon's powers." She paused before continuing. "I believed that I as your wife, are entitled to have a share of her powers. So you'll need to give me a part of it."

Okay. This has gone too far. Maybe he did pick the wrong girl. Why on hell did he need to tolerate her insolence and wit? Now she is demanding for her share of power and what will be next? He asked himself. He was supposed to play with her but it seems like he was playing her own game.

 _Damn. Damn. Women._ He thought.

* * *

"What's wrong with Phobos?" Cedric turned as he heard his new mistress' voice. Today was a stressful day for him as he again visited some villages and checked on the rebel activities. So far, after Cornelia went back to Earth the frequent raids and troubles that the scums made lessened.

He looked at the young girl beside him, he was now accompanying her back to her chambers, she was young, beautiful and wise. He had listened to her conversations with Phobos and he can't imagine seeing such young girl with haughtiness and determination. Her icy orbs were always ablaze in front of the Prince and she was the only one who can answer him freely without fear and break his will.

"The Prince is stressed my lady. He had not been able to rest for several months to prepare for the coronation of Princess Elyon and now you're wedding." He lied. He knew that Phobos doesn't want him to share about his _current condition,_ his real state; the fact that his life is on a thin line now.

"Uhuh. Then I believe it is your duty as his right hand to remind him to rest." The girl mocked and Cedric smiled and didn't comment. He has already done that but the Prince didn't listen to him. Phobos hated it when someone interferes with his personal life, he was only used to listening to his own thoughts.

"To be honest, I actually had a crush on you the first time I meet you." He didn't expect her to say such things but he wasn't dumb not to know about her past feelings. When he was still working at the bookstore, the girl would often visit him and he knew that sometimes she doesn't really need books but she only wants to see him. He doesn't mind it at all.

"I guess I'm flattered my lady." He gave a half-smile at the girl and she didn't bother to answer him anymore. They walked silently until they have reached her chambers. Cornelia turned to him and gave out a faint smile.

"Good night then Cedric." She said before she disappeared. He was just left there, staring at the brass doors.

 _Smile while you can my lady, you clearly have no idea what the Prince has in mind for you._


	4. Chapter 4: Safety

_**Into the Devil's Lair: Chapter 4**_

 _Hello again! Thank you all for submitting reviews of the story._

 _To **Gravesheart-** thank you for your kindly review! I'm glad you like my story though its not really as wonderful as I imagined it to be (to many plots and twists etc, and I don't know how to put it all in words). Yes, that's what I've noticed, aside from Cornelia, I think there's no other guardian linked with Cedric (OC, Orube, Elyon & Miranda, its rare to see him paired with the others, Will &etc) but I do plan to make this a love triangle (CedricxCorneliaxPhobos). I just hope my writing won't be a mess. _

_To **Guest (Jan.16)-** Thank you so much for leaving a review! And thanks for the suggestion but I plan to make the story more interesting and add a lot of twists. There are a lot of things I want to add to make it more enjoyable but as I mentioned in my reply to **Gravesheart,** I still don't know how to put everything in words. Don't worry the twists are very interesting and will surprise you. _

_Again, thanks everyone for writing your reviews. I appreciate it a lot, anyway, this is the Chapter 4 of Into the Devil's Lair, I hope it won't disappoint you. My writing's has become really crappy nowadays and the chapter is a bit shorter than usual (please forgive me). Would like it if you'll leave reviews afterwards! Let me know what you think! Enjoy! ;)_

* * *

 _For how long do I need to suffer this madness? I only stayed here for a few days but it already feels like forever. I miss my normal day to day habits; my friends, my parents, Lillian, the mall…_

Cornelia thought as she paced up along the dark corridors of the gothic style castle. As usual it was another gloomy day and it seems like another storm was coming so she can't go out of the castle to check on her _future kingdom._

Her etiquette lessons were finished a few hours earlier and she was left without anything to do. Elyon on the other hand was busy with Meridian history. Phobos somehow gave them different advisers and the time of their classes were different from each other so she can't sometimes meet with her friend.

She can still remember Elyon's reaction when Phobos declared that she was his fiancée. Elyon was ecstatic and was very happy that her best friend fell in love with her brother. The young princess told her that she made her dream of having her as a sister come true. _She clearly had no idea what's happening. If she only knew the truth._ She shook her head.

She glided through some more empty halls until she found herself staring at the black doors of Phobos' gallery. This is where he keeps all his portraits and his artists' paintings. She smiled as she recalled their accidentally entrapment in Elias' painting. She pushed the door open and her jaw dropped as she saw hundreds of paintings in front of her. Some were sceneries in Meridian, some were monsters, and some the faces of the prince, there were also paintings of Elyon's faces which she knew was just recently added.

But the thing that caught her attention was the big portrait hanged on the leftmost part of the room. It was a picture of a family, a happy family. She stared at it for a minute and she realized that it was the painting of the former royal family; Queen Weira and Consort Zanden, on the Queen's lap was a cute boy of five. Her lips curled as she recognized it as Phobos, who would have thought that the cute chubby boy will turn into a demon?

The picture though speaks thousands of words, the family looked genuinely happy and she can feel Weira's love for Phobos even if she haven't met the woman. Phobos on the other hand seemed not to change; there was still the proud and arrogant look on his face and his cold emerald eyes. She traced the contours of his baby face on the painting. _What made him turn to the dark side?_ This boy on the painting was totally different from the devil inside the castle. This boy was innocent and even with his haughty look she knew that the boy still wasn't a monster.

Her gaze then again returned to the parents of the Prince; Phobos was a copy of his father except for his eyes which were from his mother. She finds it weird that the Queen and the Prince had the same set of eye color yet the only difference is Weira's eyes were full of kindness while Phobos' were cold and calculating.

Elyon too, had her father's long straw hair and blue eyes but then Cornelia can't find any similarities of the girl to the Queen, which was weird. But maybe she just wasn't just good at mixing faces. Elyon was an Escanor and her powers prove it all. She stayed there and scrutinized the other paintings until she finally retired to her chambers.

* * *

"Are we really sure that Corny's safe in Phobos' lair?" Irma's usual loud voice was turned into a whisper. They were currently in the school library doing some research. Everything went back to normal except that Cornelia wasn't there with them. It has been several days since the girl last made contact and her friends were worried about her. _What if Phobos killed her? What if Phobos found out about their secret deal?_ Will's mind were full of questions that she can't concentrate with the history book she was reading.

"I'm pretty sure Cornelia's okay. She's a tough girl, we know it. We must trust her." Taranee whispered back but her eyes were fixed on the big hard bound book she was reading. Typical Taranee.

"I'm worried about her. Cornelia may be tough but compared to Phobos she is totally powerless." Hay Lin's voice was no more than a squeak and Will can distinguished worry on it. Their eyes were just fixed at the astral Cornelia they're with. She was no more than an empty shell with feelings and emotions, her face, her attitude was same as Cornelia but they are totally different from each other. It wasn't Cornelia but only a ghost of her a poor copy.

"I know but we must keep our faith in her. I will ask Caleb to spy on the castle." She quietly said and again they got embossed in the materials in front of her. _Cornelia, will find a way to save you._

* * *

Phobos stared at the scrolls of parchment in front of him. It was another busy day again and as much as he wants to rest, he can't. He needed to study Lord Cedric's reports and his eyes are already hurt reading hundreds of words. When was the last time that he finally took some rest? Even if he wanted too, he can't. There's no one left that can do his responsibility.

He sat on the throne at a very young age and was forced to do the job of the adult. He had no time for himself; he had no time to enjoy. All his life, he sat on the high chair and fixed the problems of the land, talked to dozens of noblemen and yet a naïve girl will only hinder on his way on becoming a King.

And now, he was caught with some disease, which cause he doesn't even know. His life was sad. He had no one to cling to, no one to share his problems with. He was forced to deal with it on his own. It changed him, gone was the boy who dreamed about his kingdom's future, he was replaced by a man, an evil sorceress who wants nothing but power and glory.

"What do you think about lovely fiancée, Cedric?" He finally turned to the young man with him. The Lord was seated on one of the recliners near the window; he was reading some sort of book. Cedric looked up to him and paused for a short while before answering.

"She'll make a fine Queen my prince. She knows how to handle herself well and she's wise. Wise for her own good." The lord said and smirked. Yes, he was right. The girl was totally wise for her own good and he finally decided to keep her. She'll make a great Queen and her potentials are interesting.

"What did her tutors say about her?" He asked his henchman again.

"She does well in her classes, highness. She stands out on etiquette and fairly on the history. Her tutors commend her." Lord Cedric replied and the Prince couldn't help but smile.

"And what of Elyon?" He asked.

"The tutors also commend her although she is having a hard time to cope with her etiquette lessons unlike the guardian." Cedric replied and he just mouthed an "hmm" and continued reading the damned reports.

The door then flung open and it revealed a young girl with long blonde hair freely reaching her waist. She was wearing a pale blue dress and her face was crumpled. Phobos smiled as he saw his future bride unceremoniously entered his study.

"I want to go to Earth." The girl exclaimed and stopped in front of his table. He just crossed his arms on his chest and looked at the half-panting girl.

"And what if I forbid it?" He asked seriously and he watched as her face then became distorted, as if she didn't like what she was hearing.

"As I can recall, our deal was for me to become your wife and not you're captive." Cornelia's eyes narrowed as she speaks. Well, he can just arrange for Cedric to accompany her but an idea struck his mind. It's not every day he can just have a break and it's a good opportunity to know the girl better and capture her heart. He'll need to play the part of a nice and gentlemanly prince.

"Fine. Change your clothes and wait for me in the courtyard." He said as he stood up from his chair. The girl smirked before running out of the room. Phobos turned to Cedric.

"My prince?" The lord asked, confused by his actions. Phobos glided to the door.

"I shall accompany my little bride to Earth; I leave you the responsibility of securing the castle and my sister." He didn't wait for Cedric to reply and he turned to the direction of his chambers. He'll need to look great today besides he'll need to win a Guardian's heart.

* * *

What do you think?


	5. Chapter 5: The Date

_**Into the Devil's Lair: Chapter 5**_

This one is kind of short but I promise to release longer chapters on the next updates! Enjoy!

* * *

 _For an evil prince, he looks so handsome and hot._

Cornelia thought as soon as she saw Phobos. She found it unusual to see him in earthly clothing- a black sweatshirt, black pants and shoes. His appearance also became younger. Yes, there was no denying it. Phobos was handsome- tall, pale, has aristocratic features that speaks that he is born a royalty. His long silver hair was now tied in a short pony tail.

She must have stared at him for a long time and she can feel her heart furiously pumping in her chest. _What was happening to her?_ Yesterday she used to despise him but now, now she finds him handsome.

"Like what you're seeing?" His arrogant tone woke her up from her deep thoughts and she looked up to meet his gaze. His cold and ruthless eyes were now staring at her and she felt her cheeks tinge. "It seems to me that you have forgotten to speak." He said when she wasn't able to reply to his words. However she doesn't want him to see that she was almost _starting to like him_. She was there to spy on him not to fall for him. She was there to study his plans and observe but she was also there to marry him. But is it really possible for her to interact with him without falling?

"Nothing. I was thinking about something." She lied and straightened up her back. She was now wearing a simple blue blouse and dark jeans paired with slip-ons; she brought some Earth clothes when she finally transferred in Meridian. "Anyway, why are you dressed in earth clothes?" She asked curiously.

"Why? Am I not allowed to go out with my fiancée?" The prince replied and Cornelia felt her heart thumping even faster than before. Phobos' words seemed to have stuck in her mind and kept on repeating and repeating.

"W-what?" She asked again almost sounding like an idiot.

"I said, I'm going with you." The prince said and Cornelia winced as she felt his arms wrapped around her shoulder. _What the hell is this guy doing?_ She asked herself and she can't help but blush at the situation. A few seconds later, a portal glowed in front of her and they found themselves standing in an alley just a few blocks near the Lin's restaurant.

"Where are we going?" She asked the Prince. She was planning to spend this day with her girlfriends and chat with them about her palace life but no, this tyrant rather destroyed her schedule. However she felt a slight tinge in her heart as he insisted to go with her.

"Anywhere you wish to go princess." Phobos replied with a smirk on his lips and Cornelia just rolled her eyes. She looked around, closed her eyes and breathed the Earth air. Oh, how she missed the feeling of walking on the streets again, glancing through boutique windows and enjoy the warm feeling of the sea on her feet. But today, since she had a different plan. She wants to go skating. It has been a while since she last hit the rink and her polished skills will soon become rusty.

"I know just the place!" She said excitingly and involuntarily grabbed Phobos' hand. She didn't see Phobos wince at the action; she was just paying attention on what was in front of her.

"So, when did the royal couple decide to visit Earth?" Cornelia stopped as she heard a painfully familiar voice. She turned to see her friends standing on the corner, their faces have shown surprise, except for Irma who currently had a playfully smile on her lips, their gazes went to the person behind her.

"If it isn't the guardians." Phobos said sarcastically.

"Prince Phobos." Will angrily muttered, she was about to get the heart of Kandrakar from her chest when Cornelia intervened.

"Stop! He is not here to fight." She said and the girls remained silent. She sighed. "We are on a date." She finally spoke and the girls gasped like they didn't believe her words. The guy behind her just crossed his arms around his chest and smirked. "If you don't have anything to say, we're leaving." She said and again grabbed Phobos' hand and dragged him to the skating center.

* * *

The four girls remained dumbfounded even when Cornelia and Phobos had been gone for a few seconds.

"We're following them right?" Will finally said after the long silence. They can't believe what they just saw. Phobos and Cornelia on earth? After all the fight they had in the past it was very unusual to see the Prince not in his usual dark ensemble. She almost laughed when she saw him wearing normal Earth clothes.

"Oh yeah." Taranee said as she adjusted her eyeglasses. After a few seconds they followed the couple's trail and found themselves in front of the skating arena. This is probably going to be a very unusual day for the four of them.

* * *

Cornelia smiled widely as she saw her fiancée follow her on the rink. She didn't think that the Prince can actually skate. And for a moment she forgot that the guy had trapped her in a difficult situation. She waved at the man and moved towards him.

"I didn't know that you can skate." She said without hesitation and the guy just plastered his favorite arrogant smirk at her. Once, she had hated his smirk but now she became used to it as she can see it every day; morning to night.

"Benefits of magic my dear." He said in a velvety tone. She blinked. So he does not really know how to skate and is using his powers to maintain balance. Boo. What a bore. She thought. She would love to somehow see him skate naturally but she knew that the Prince wouldn't want to fall down in the cold pit. Before they arrived in the rink, the Prince had used a little bit of magic to change her clothes to something warmer. Now she was dressed in a black sweatshirt, white skirt and there was a knitted black hat sitting on her golden hair.

"That's cheating." She pouted.

"Cornelia!" They both turned when they heard a voice calling her. To her surprise she saw Peter Cook, Taranee's older brother and her long time crush. She never expected to see him here! Besides she also felt embarrassed that she was with a guy right now, Peter had been trying to reach her and invite her out in the past but she often decline his invitations. And now she was with another guy.

"Oh. Hey Peter." She said embarrassed. The guy went near them and gave a questioning look at the guy beside him. Of course. Peter never saw Phobos around and she doubt if Phobos had ever set foot on Earth before. "Uhmm. Pho- Phillip, this is Peter Cook, he's Taranee's older brother and a friend of mine." She gave Phobos a warning look not to comment on her words, she also gave him a false name. The name Phobos itself was weird enough. "Peter this is Phillip he's my…." She never finished her sentence as Phobos intervened.

"I'm her boyfriend." The man said and held out his hand for Peter. Peter looked surprised but he regained his composure and took Phobos' hand. After a while he excused himself. She was once again left with Phobos and she felt that there was some kind of tension building between them. "He likes you." That wasn't a question but a statement.

"Huh? What?" She asked as she didn't hear what he was saying. Her eyes were just focused on the people skating around them.

"I don't like other men giving you malicious looks. You're mine." He hissed on her ear and his words made her skin crawl. His tone was somehow possessive. She gulped and absentmindedly nodded to what he said. "Let's go." Now it was his time to grab her hand.

"Is it just me or Cornelia and Phobos are happily skating with each other?" Irma asked as they were finally inside the center. They glance through the glass mirror and they saw Phobos and Cornelia skating around the rink. Cornelia seemed to be beaming while Phobos was in his unusual self- he was smirking.

And it was the first time the four guardians saw their enemy or rather _former_ enemy happy. They faced him so many times and they have witnessed his temper and anger. He was a dangerous man and right now, the feeling was a little bit eerie as their friend was happily hanging out with the Prince of Evil.

"Maybe he's changed." Hay Lin said. "They looked good together." The Chinese girl said and sighed dreamily as she continued to stare at the royal couple. Well, Will couldn't help but agree at the statement. The two did really look good together, well minus the haughty attitude and arrogant behaviour they were somehow a match made in heaven.

"And it seems like our Ice Queen has been thawed." Taranee added. Ice Queen, it was the school's nickname for Cornelia Hale, the most famous girl in Sheffield. Many boys went after her but she never dated any of them. Now she knew her friend's preference. Cornelia must've a liking for bad boys. She remembers Cornelia sighing about Cedric before so she can conclude that way.

"So you didn't tell me why you started learning how to skate." Phobos asked Cornelia after they finally decided to stop skating. He never thought that the activity can be fun and the Earth guardian's company wasn't boring.

"I started when I was six, then I joined competitions." The girl answered as she looked at her cup of hot chocolate they have bought from the counter. He didn't have a problem with money because he can just conjure them with the use of magic. "I wanted to join the Olympics someday." Cornelia then added and he raised his eyebrow at the unfamiliar word. Cornelia must have noticed his action that she started to explain what Olympics is.

Satisfied with it, he rubbed his fingers on his chin and began imagining what this Olympics was but he finally stopped as he cannot bring his mind to picture the event. After having a break from his royal activities he felt satisfied and his mind felt light. It was the first time he went out of his comfort zone and it was not that bad. But he soon erased the thoughts out of his mind. He was here to seduce the girl and make her fall for him, not the other way around.

In the past few years, he had built a wall around his emotions, only showing anger and hatred. The others had been blocked off. But what will happen if the wall will slowly come down?

"Come on. Let's go home. It's getting late and I'm tired." He said in a serious tone and the girl just followed him. He opened a portal and they soon disappeared in thin air.

* * *

*Chapter based on Season 2 Episode 6: Facades

Thoughts?


	6. Chapter 6: The Invitation

_**Into the Devil's Lair: Chapter 6**_

* * *

 _Cornelia hurries through the dark corridors of the castle. She can hear a baby crying nearby and somehow she is drawn to it. She wants to see the baby, to hold it, to comfort it. She runs and sees an open door on the corner; she comes inside the room and founds herself in a nursery. There was a crib in the middle and the cries of the baby seemed to be louder here._

 _She slowly walks towards the crib and peeks at the crying angel. She immediately smiled as she saw the beautiful baby lying inside. The baby opens its eyes and stares at her; her eyes; it was the most beautiful and warmest set of emerald eyes she ever saw. She gently bents to reach for the baby but the little angel touches her arm, she gasps and closes her eyes._

 _"Mommy!" Cornelia turns as she hears a sweet voice, the scene has changed and now she was in some kind of meadow. A beautiful girl of three was running towards her. The girl's golden hair bounced as she paced off and the beautiful emerald eyes seemed to be so familiar. Behind her was a man, a tall man with long silver hair and the same set of emerald eyes yet compared to the angel, his eyes were very cold and emotionless. He stares at her and his lips curls into a malicious smile. He reaches for something from behind his back and hurries behind the girl._

 _"Daddy." The little girl turns to the man. The man picks the girl up but gives her a quick glance before revealing the dagger on his hand. She immediately realized what was going to happen. The man holds the dagger between the girl's neck and collar bone._

 _"No!" She screamed as the man runs the dagger along the girl's neck._

* * *

Cedric was doing his daily late night patrols around the castle with some of his subordinates when he heard a scream. It was coming from one of the biggest chambers of the castle and he immediately recognized the owner of the voice. _Something's wrong._ He thought. He better checks it out, something bad must have happened and he knew that Phobos won't forgive him if he does not act.

He hurriedly ran towards her room and pushed the door open.

Cornelia was sitting on her bed; her nightgown was wet with sweat, her hair dishevelled, the knuckles of her hands were white from clutching the blankets, her chest rose and fell as she catches her breath and tears were streaming from her blue eyes. It was the first time that he saw the guardian in that condition. _A nightmare._ He knew that she had a nightmare basing from her current state.

He walks towards the side of her bed and looks at her with worried eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked and the girl turns toward him. Instead of answering the girl throws her arms around his neck and he gasped at her action but he didn't mind it at all. Her dream must be very bad and right now the best thing to do was to comfort her.

But something stirred inside him, his thoughts clouded as he inhaled her scent; lavenders and lilacs. It was very intoxicating and his mind became heavy. His heart thumped loudly and his can feel the rush of blood through his ears.

Cornelia sobbed like a baby on his chest and he absentmindedly wrapped his arms around her. He didn't shove her away nor complained that her tears already wet his robes. He felt the sense of responsibility over her. _He wants to protect her. He wants to chase her nightmares away._

He didn't know how long he stood there; he just regained his composure when Cornelia finally stopped crying. He looked down and realized that the girl was already asleep. He sighed and he carefully placed her back to the bed. He pushed away the hair covering her pretty face. He gulped. What was he doing? Why did he do that? And what if Phobos will know about it? What will he tell his master?

He took one last glance at the girl who was now peacefully sleeping and moved towards the door. The two other guards just looked at him with confusion. It was their first time to see their master comforting someone. He had always been cruel and strict like Phobos and he never showed compassion to anyone before.

"Don't tell anyone about what happened tonight." Cedric told the two guards standing outside Cornelia's quarters. They nodded and did not dare to speak any questions. He closed the door of the guardian's chambers and tried to erase the memory from his mind.

But her scent, it seems to linger on his nose. He can still remember the tenderness of her arms wrapped around his neck. Her softs sobs were still echoing on his ears. And her peaceful image was still on his mind.

 _What are you doing to me, guardian?_

* * *

Sunday. It was another day for the earthly guardians of the veil and usually they spend their Sundays crammed in the basement of the Silver Dragon. They often talked about their battle plans and how to help the rebels steal food and crops from the castle. But now everything has changed and it has been a long time since they last entered a portal to Meridian.

"Hey girls." The four girls turned to see Caleb enter the basement through the backdoor, Blunk was trailing behind. He was wearing a rather wary expression.

"Caleb." Will greeted the newcomer and wasn't surprised that he showed up today. After Cornelia's predicament, he started to spend more time in Meridian, trying to figure out a way to break in the castle and to check Cornelia's situation. But it was with no avail, Phobos had the castle heavily guarded. It seems like he doesn't want any of them to visit his little bride.

Caleb sat down on an empty stool near Taranee and gave out a long sigh. They were all worried about him. He seemed to be down lately due to Cornelia's decision. They didn't try to comment about it but they have tried their best to comfort their friend. He was heartbroken.

"How's Meridian?" Irma then broke the loud silence. Caleb looked up and took something from his cloak. It was a red envelope and they immediately figured that it came from the castle as they saw the Escanor family crest embossed on the paper.

"What is that?" Hay Lin asked. But Caleb handed the envelope to the red head leader who took it in surprise. She started tearing the sides and a parchment immediately slid down on her hands. Everyone looked at it suspiciously. Was it a death threat? Or was it Cornelia's final words to them? Everyone wore a dark expression on their faces.

Will raised her eyebrow as soon as she saw what was written inside after silently reading it she expressed relief but her girlfriends were interested with what was written so she cleared her throat before reading what's inside.

" _His Highness, Prince Phobos Escanor cordially invites you to join the Masquerade Ball in honor of his fiancée, Lady Cornelia Hale, Guardian of the Veil. The ball will serve as the celebration and announcement of their engagement. The ball will be held in the castle's ballroom and will start at 8 pm, Saturday. Everyone is required to wear their best dresses, suits and masks."_ The girl said without even stopping. Everyone sighed in relief after hearing the letter. It was an invitation and not Cornelia's death letter.

"A masquerade?" a surprised Taranee asked and Will nodded.

"But who would have sent an invitation to us guardians? Phobos won't just invite us to come." Since Cornelia left Irma started to belt out a few jokes and was rather serious with their discussions.

"Cornelia?" Yes, it may be Cornelia but then they doubt that Phobos will just allow her to invite them. Last time, Cornelia told them that Phobos will let her visit Earth but it seems like the term didn't even happen. She did go back but her tyrant fiancée was trailing behind her and his actions seemed to be very fishy.

"Maybe. But we can't be sure." Will answered. "It may be a trap." She then added.

"We still need to see Cornelia. We need to know if she's doing fine or if she's even alive." Taranee said and Irma nodded to her words.

"But how about our costumes?" The keeper asked and Hay Lin's face lit up. Well, it was expected. Hay Lin loved designing clothes but the schedule of the event was close enough so she may not be able to finish their costumes in a short time.

"I know someone who can help." The air guardian said and winked at them, they didn't ask who she was pertaining to their minds were more focused on the invitation. What if it was a trap? What will they do?

"We need to blend in the castle and as much as possible, Phobos can't know that were there. The mask will be at our advantage. We will need a plan."

* * *

 **Gravesheart** \- Thank you for your kindly words and encouragement. Somehow it inspired me to write some more chapters (I will be posting one chapter per week or per 2 weeks). Yes, this is going to be a love triangle between Cedric, Cornelia and Phobos. I agree with you Phobos is indeed an idiot, a hot idiot. Hopefully the story is not confusing, I sometimes don't reread the chapters when I write an update. "Phillip's" visit to Earth may become frequent after a couple of chapters. ;)

- _Next update will be next week, same day. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you. Sometimes my mind doesn't just work well and I don't know how to describe my characters emotions as well as the places. Keep in mind English is my second language that's why the fic isn't that perfect. I only use some simple and familiar words and sometimes the grammar is also wrong. Also please review, I would like to receive some constructive criticisms from my readers so that I know if something is wrong. Thanks- kkwaii_


	7. Chapter 7: Danse Macabre

_**Into the Devil's Lair: Chapter 8**_

* * *

Will looked at her reflection on the mirror and gave out a satisfied smirk. The gown was perfect and wonderful. It was pink and it hugged her figure well, and it looks like it was made from top-craftsmanship so she wondered how did Hay Lin got hold of it.

"Oh Hay Lin. How were you able to get these dresses?" She asked her friend who was currently applying a small amount of make up on her face. While she was now currently fixing her hair. Tonight is the anticipated "masquerade ball" in honor of the Prince's fiancée and they received an invitation from the palace so they will go and at the same time check on Cornelia who didn't contact them for almost a week now. They are worried if their friend was okay even if Blunk had several times tried to break in the castle and confirmed that the girl was still alive and well. They still wanted to be sure, who knows if Phobos had successfully taken over her mind.

She does not trust Phobos; he was one hell of a treacherous and dangerous guy. He can't be easily trusted and he always has some sort of evil plan in mind. So they can't just leave the welfare of their dear friend on the hands of the tyrant.

"I asked help from Elias." The girl smiled slyly. Elias. Of course. She remembered the painter whom Phobos trapped inside his very own work. Well, they accidentally set foot inside his world and since Phobos sent monsters to capture them, they needed to escape, and to their surprise everything painted there comes to life. No wonder Hay Lin told them that they don't have to worry about the outfits.

They were now on the Silver Dragon basement and to escape from their parents with the use of their astral doubles. It was needed in case they can't get back soon.

"You girls ready?" From the corner of the basement comes Caleb. He was wearing a rather princely suit and they all can't take their eyes off him. Surely, he is the most handsome man in the party. Well, maybe third only to Phobos and Cedric.

"Yes, of course." Irma stood up confidently, her hands clutching the hem of her gown. She was wearing a turquoise dress and a green mask; Taranee a yellow ball gown and a gold mask; Hay Lin with a dark blue gown and a glittery mask and she with her pink gown and red mask. They were now ready.

"I'll have Blunk sniff a portal. Hopefully it's not located in some sort of dumpy place." Caleb said and went outside. They can hear him arguing with their smelly creature-friend Blunk, a passling who had the ability to sniff out portals. "Let's go." After a few seconds Caleb's head can be seen on the door. They all nodded to him and with all modesty picked up the hem of their dresses and glided outside.

* * *

Cornelia took a deep breath as her handmaidens were currently helping her with the dress. They were now adjusting her corset and she has tried her best to hold her breath. Since she was young, she always imagine how it feels like to live in the medieval times, wearing gowns and corsets but now she wants to take back her dream of trying it. Apparently, it wasn't as nice as it seems and she was forced into some sort of metal petticoat and it hinders her from freely moving.

Now they have helped her with the scarlet gown and she can't help but blush when she remembered what almost happened when she last wore it. Phobos almost made love to her because of the damned dress. Well, not that she didn't want it to happen (for some reasons she started to have some crush on the evil Prince after their short trip on Earth, she almost felt like he was a nice guy and was simply misunderstood by his subjects, sometimes they would spend their "coupley" time talking about Politics as she is a big fan of history and found out that he was actually great in discussing about it).

But of course, somewhere deep in her heart she felt that Phobos is hiding something. It's not every day he would just randomly offer a guardian to become his wife and she thinks that he wants _something._ Something from her but what could she offer? She was no noble woman; she had no dowry or property to add up to Meridian's treasury which was overflowing with gold. She was young and although she had a lot of knowledge about politics, she was not born to rule, it wasn't in her blood and she was an outsider in the planet. An alien. Aside from that, she wasn't that powerful, she can't be compared to Elyon. To sum up she certainly has nothing to give him aside from her beautiful looks.

Or maybe Phobos just had a liking with blondes. She thought.

Her maids finished helping her with the gown and handed her a red mask that compliments her gown, it was adorned with precious stones of different kinds and some feathers. She took a deep breath and put it on. The servants then ushered her to the mirror.

A smile formed on her lips as she looked at her appearance; her hair was neatly tied in a complicated braid and there were some loose tendrils that were curled and dangles on her face, on her hands was a lace glove that reached up to her elbow; a golden necklace adorned with rubies was now on her neck and she was wearing some sort of glass slippers which made her think that she was Cinderella (she does not know if it was some sort of joke but it feels comfortable on her feet and it seems durable). She was no doubt the queen of the evening.

Everything is like a dream.

"Milady, the Prince is waiting for you downstairs." A servant who was still panting rushed to her side and informed her about Phobos. She nodded and slowly stepped outside. She was rather nervous about this. A few weeks ago, she was just a normal teenage girl who dreams of meeting a prince now her life took a hell of a dramatic turn and now she is about to attend a ball for her engagement to the Prince of Meridian. But was she ready for what's next?

She slowly turned to the corridor leading to the grand stair case that connects to the ballroom of the palace. She took a deep breath as soon as she saw the railings. Her eyes then fixed on the man standing on the foot of the steps. He was wearing a top crafted suit and a cape was hanging on his back. His long silver hair was neatly tied into a ponytail and half of his face was covered with a silver mask. His lips curled into a smile as soon as he saw her.

For a moment their gazes meet, even when she was a few meters away from him, she can feel the extreme coldness his emerald eyes were emitting and it sent shivers to her very soul. How can he do that? How can he make her feel like he was looking through her?

She trembled as she slowly descended from the golden steps. Her hands reached for the wooden fence to support herself and keep her from falling. Her heart plummeted on her chest and even if the weather was cool, she can feel her that she was starting to sweat. She was nervous!

When she finally arrived on the last step, Phobos reached for her hand and kissed it. Her face tinged at the action. _He is such a gentleman._ She thought. She never imagined him to be like this. Without his usual dark ensemble, he was almost perfect. She somehow wanted to trace his face with her fingers.

"For you my love." He then conjured a long stemmed red rose. She smiled as she reached for it.

"Thank you." Her words almost sounded like a squeak. How can she even focus on her mission when he was doing this to her? Was it possible to stop herself from falling for her enemy? Her mind and heart battled. She was confused. In a small amount of time that she spent with him, she felt happy and even if they sometime engage in petty fights and arguments she knew that she can't be angry with him for a long time. She had forgiven him from kidnapping Elyon and for planning to kill his sister.

But then she wasn't sure what he will do to her. Was he really serious when he offered her to be his Queen? Or does he plan to dispose of her when he already achieved his goal? A goal she doesn't even know of.

However, even if everything was just a lie, even if he will try to deceive her, make her feel special at a short time and then throw her away like garbage, she was now happy on where she is. All she wanted to do now was enjoy her time with him while it lasts. While she is still the apple of his eyes. The star.

"Shall we go?" His velvety voice brought her back to reality and she looked up to him and gave him a faint smile. She was still unsure about this ball. She was excited but at the same time she was scared. She felt that something bad would happen. But she hopes that it was just her nervousness that causes this panic. She gave him a nod and the Prince's hand wrapped on her waist. They then continued to the large golden doors that separates the room to the ballroom.

The soldiers bowed down and opened it for them. At first she felt dizzy when she saw the bright lights coming from the chandelier drooping on the ceiling but after blinking for several times she was able to look around. She found out that there was another staircase inside that was even much grander than the one she passed by. On the foot of it was the vast dance floor which was now filled with guests; noblemen and women, some sort of creatures and from a far she can see Elyon who is now with Cedric, they were talking to some guests.

"His Royal Highness, Prince Phobos Escanor and the Earth Guardian, Cornelia Hale." A man with a rather loud voice announced their arrival and everyone inside then turned to look at them. She gulped as the eyes of the guests focused on her and Phobos. She was used to attention but now, she felt tensed. If it wasn't for Phobos' strong arm on her waist, she would have fallen by now, her knees were trembling in excitement and anxiousness.

They again descended on the stairs. When they arrived on the foot, she almost groaned when Phobos removed his arm around her waists.

"Greetings noble lords, ladies and guests! I'm very happy to see you all on this very significant day and I would like to apologize for announcing it on a short notice, everything happened so fast. Today is a very special day as I would like to announce my engagement to the Earth Guardian, the beautiful Cornelia Hale." She gently smiled as she heard her name being called. "Our wedding will be held in a month and I am inviting you all to witness it. Thank you and enjoy the ball!" Phobos said in a loud voice and it was followed by a large applause coming from the guests.

Music soon filled the air and Phobos took her hand and led her to the dance floor, which was now currently empty as the people are now waiting for the Prince to open it by dancing with his betrothed. She then curtsied before him and the Prince took her hand and kissed it again. Afterwards they were now gliding and waltzing in the vast empty space.

She felt her stomach churn at every turn. She was afraid to make a mistake. She had spent almost an entire week to practice this dance with her instructor and it was a train wreck! Now she is scared to take a wrong move and step on Phobos' feet. It would be a total embarrassment given that she was the main lady of the event.

The music ended but Phobos didn't let go of her, he instead claimed her lips in front of every noble houses in Meridian! And it nearly left her stupor! Her cheeks flamed as he pulled away from her. His lips were curled into a sly smirk and she felt that someone poured cold water over her head. How dare he embarrass her in front of other people? Does he not know that it wasn't nice to steal a kiss from someone in front of a crowd? She gritted her teeth in irritation.

"Smile, my love. This is your night. Enjoy it." She felt Phobos' breath on her neck and she shivered.

"Cornelia! Phobos!" She turned as she heard Elyon's small voice. She hurriedly smiled as she saw the girl. Elyon looked like a real Queen tonight. She was wearing a blue gown, a silver mask like Phobos' was covering half of her face and a tiara was resting on top of her head.

"Hi Ellie." She calmly greeted her friend despite the fact that she was almost out of breath due to the anxiety. With her was Cedric, he was wearing his usual green ensemble and a green mask was covering his face but his purple eyes were focused somewhere.

"Can I dance with my brother for a while? I'm sure that after the wedding it will be hard to borrow him from you." The girl winked at her. "Meanwhile you can dance with Cedric." Elyon then turned to Phobos.

"I will be back." He said before turning to the dance floor. There was an obvious hint of disappointment in his eyes when Elyon dragged him away. She then turned to the shape-shifter who was now left with her. His eyes were focused on her but it didn't have its unusual sparkle, somehow it seems sad.

"Milady." He said softly and bowed before her before taking her again to the center of the room. They started dancing and there was an awkward silence between them. But why would she care? The man in front of her, the right hand of Phobos had tried to kill them several times, well, not that it was really what he wanted (she is not sure, what he feels about his job but then he needed to follow his master's orders) but then he was still a bad guy. An enemy. Another villain.

"Cedric-"

"Cornelia-" They both spoke at the same time and smiled apologetically at each other. She heard Cedric sighed softly. "You go first." He said.

"About last time…" She started. She wants to talk about the incident in her room where she accidentally hugged him. She wanted to apologize; well it wasn't really her fault. It was the damned nightmare. But still… "I'm sorry if I hugged you. You see I was scared…" She hurriedly said without a pause and her words almost were incomprehensible. But he just smiled and the gesture warmed her heart. Why is it that she felt weird around Cedric and Phobos?

She already admitted that she had an infatuation with the dark Prince but what of Cedric? What does she feel about him?

"Don't worry. I know that you were scared that time." He replied and then his eyes were fixed on the ground. Earlier he wanted to say something, what was that?

"Uhhmm. You wanted to say something earlier?" She asked, curious about what is it he wanted to tell her. The guy looked up in surprise and again the end of his lips curled into a gentle smile.

"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that you are beautiful tonight." Cedric then stopped at the same time as the music ended. He bowed before her and then he left her alone. Her heart beated rapidly at his words.

Her eyes looked for Phobos but unfortunately he was dancing with someone else, a girl with red hair that somehow looks familiar.

"Can I have this dance milady?" A handsome young man, whom she estimated was a few years older than her bowed down in front of her. She just smiled and curtsied before him. They then started dancing and she had this eerie feeling about the guy; brown hair and green eyes. And the smile. She almost cried in happiness as soon as she realized who she is dancing with.

"Ca-" She didn't finish as he pressed his finger on her lips. Good thing no one was currently looking at their direction. That action should have caused a big disgrace on her part.

"We need to talk Cornelia." He said and then his head moved left and right. They stopped dancing and he grabbed her from the dance floor. She hurried behind him so that no one will notice her absence. They were now inside the palace gardens'. Caleb removed his mask and crushed her in a tight embrace which surprised her. She immediately pulled back, afraid that anyone might see them.

"W-what's wrong?" She asked.

"Stop it Cornelia." He said in a painfully sad voice. His eyes were gloomy.

"What?" Her forehead furrowed as she does not know what he was talking about. The boy gave out a soft sigh.

"Please stop it. I can't continue like this anymore. I love you Cornelia and I wanted you to be happy. I don't want you to be tied with that tyrant." He said as he tried to hold her hand but she pushed him back. This confession of his didn't change anything. Yes, she may have a crush on him at their first meeting but that was all that she felt nothing more. And why does he need to dictate what's best for her, it seem like he had forgotten that this marriage was only for convenience. For the safety of everyone. He was making her feel like she was a damsel in distress trapped in an uncontrolled situation.

"And who are you to dictate what I need to do with my life?" She lifted her chin and looked at him to the eye. A part of her scolded herself, she was being too cruel. But she does not care.

"I'm just concerned with you. Phobos can't be trusted and he can hurt you Cornelia." His voice was full of concern.

"You must have forgotten Caleb, this marriage wasn't for my own good. This is for the good of all Meridian for all of you. If I run away do you think Phobos will just let me go? He wants me for something Caleb. I need to find it out before running away." She said and smiled bitterly. She mustn't tell him that she is slowly falling for the charms of the tyrant.

"But Corn-" He wasn't able to finish as they heard screams and noises from the inside.

 _Something was wrong._

Her heart was pumping heavily and without any words, she reached the hem of her dress and run back inside not looking back at the rebel leader.

She was panting when she arrived inside. She hurried and was almost pushing the people who were now focused on something, she can hear Elyon's worried voice and Cedric's screams and orders to the guards. _What was happening?_ Her hands shake in fear. There is something wrong and she can feel it.

When she finally reached the center, her eyes widened as she saw Phobos lying unconscious on the floor, his skin pale as death and next to him was an unfinished cup of wine. She gasped and without any hesitations she lifted herself and hurriedly went near.

"Phobos!" She quickly ran towards her fiancée. She touched his face and gasp as he was as cold as ice. _No. no. this wasn't happening and everything was just a dream. Phobos can't be dead._ She then buried her head on his chest. Thud. Thud. She can hear his heart beat but it was so faint. He was still alive.

"What happened?" She then turned to Elyon and Cedric who had the same worried look as her.

"He was poisoned." It was Cedric who answered. "Guards call the Physicians!" He then shouted at the patrolling guards and the security.

"Who did this?" Her voice trembled. "Who did this!?" She asked again, this time in a louder voice that was almost a shout. Everyone was just looking at them, some were whispering and some were just frozen in shock. _Who would have dared to poison His Highness?_

Then someone from the crowd pointed to a girl with short red hair- the very same girl Phobos was dancing with when she left the place.

"She did it."

* * *

Thank you again for submitting your reviews! I appreciate it a lot. It will also be nice if you can tell me if there are some errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. It will help a lot. :)

Gravesheart- Thanks, I haven't checked the error yet but I'll probably do it later or anytime soon, I hope it's not that obvious. ^^ I already finished some chapters but I'll probably edit the contents again. Cedric will have a major role in the next chapters (it'll be a surprise, I hope). Anyway, thank you again for your kind words. ^^

If you are wondering why the Chapter is titled "Danse Macabre", actually it was my inspiration when I wrote this one (I was listening to it). It means "Dance of Death" but don't worry it does not mean that Phobos will die on the next chapter, I just wanted to dedicate this piece to the song. ;)

Thoughts?


	8. Chapter 8: Passion

Warning: Some lemon scenes (poorly described lemon scenes) inside. LOL

 _ **Chapter 8**_

"What!? No! I didn't do anything with him!" Cornelia tensed as she heard the painfully familiar voice. _Will!_ She looked up to see her friend trying to shove off the guards that are attempted to get hold of her. The mask from her face fell down and it revealed her face. Everyone gasped as they saw the familiar face of the leader of the guardians.

"Guardians!" Shouted Cedric. "Find the others and seize them!" He ordered the guards. The ballroom was almost empty now as guests started running away when the Prince fell, afraid that they may be linked in his accident. Some were just too terrified when they saw heard that the guardians were there. And Cornelia had completely forgotten about the rebel leader.

"Guardians Unite!" Will removed the heart of Kandrakar from her chest and shouted, a blinding light flashed before their eyes and on her. She closed her eyes but then she felt the familiar sensations weaving through her body. _She was transforming!_

When she finally opened her eyes, she was now in her guardian outfit and the four girls were towering above them. Cedric, who was now in his snake form, was lifting his tail to attack her friends. Elyon on the other hand was just so shocked with the events that she froze in her location.

She heard Hay Lin scream and then a loud crash. Her friend was now lying on the ground and probably was hit by Cedric's raging tail.

"Bring the Prince to hisss chambersss and sssecure the Princessss and Cornelia!" Cedric hissed and before she knew it someone had grabbed her arm and was carrying Phobos and Elyon away. But no, she can't go. She doesn't believe that her friends were behind this. She already told them that she will take care of everything and they just need to wait. But a part of her also screams that they are guilty.

Why would Caleb bring her to the gardens? Maybe to keep her busy so that they can poison Phobos? But no, she knew deep inside her that her friends won't do this. They are just teenage girls tasked to protect the worlds and they all are good. They won't harm anybody with their powers! And besides where did they get the poison?

However it was still necessary to question them to find out the truth and if she'll let them escape now, her credibility will be tarnished and people will look at her like a traitor. Yet they must not be harmed. Without further thinking, she jerked the scaly hands of the guard dragging her back to the innermost part of the castle.

"Earth!" She screamed and directed the attack at the four girls hovering above. Large vines came out of the ground and wrapped around the bodies of her friends. They looked at her their eyes widened with disbelief that she just attacked them. She just looked down afraid to meet all of their gazes, this action will make them hate her and they'll probably think that she was now siding with the enemy but this is necessary!

"You traitor!" Irma angrily screamed but she pretended not to hear even when her heart was crushed into pieces.

"Milady?" Cedric's yellow reptilian eyes are now focused on her; he also had the look of disbelief plastered on his face. He was so shock that she would attack her friends. But with all confidence and dignity, she lifted her chin and locked all emotions from visibility.

"Take them to the dungeons." She said bitterly and turned her back without even glancing back at her friends. She can hear their screams and shouts calling her a traitor but she didn't mind it at all, she instead hurriedly ran towards Phobos' chambers. She needs to find out if he was okay. Soon, her clothes were again back to normal and she figured that Will must have shut down the heart of Kandrakar and hid it away, afraid that the guards might take it away from her.

A crowd of people welcomed her when she arrived at the Prince's chambers and they all made way as soon as she entered the room, there sitting near his bed was Elyon, her face showed worry and tears were falling from her eyes. Her heart plummeted. Was he dead?

Her eyes focused on the pale man resting now on the bed, somehow they managed to change his clothes and his mask was removed. She went to his side and grabbed his hand.

"Phobos…" she softly whispered as she lifted his hand and pressed it against her cheek. _He can't be dead. He can't be dead._ The words seemed to have become a mantra on her mind. He is not dead. She needs to be sure. "H-how is he?" She turned to Elyon.

"He is fine and just sleeping, the doctors manage to extract the poison from his body but if they were in any second late, my brother would have died." Elyon said bitterly. If only Phobos saw how his sister cared for her, he probably would have second thoughts about harming the little girl. "I will leave for now Corny." The Princess said and pressed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. She just smiled sadly and her gaze went back to the Prince whose eyes were now shut close.

When she was now alone, she didn't fight back the tears that have been trying to escape her eyes. She was just so afraid when she saw him lying unconscious on the marble floor, frightened that he would just leave her without any words. Afraid that she wouldn't see his cold emerald eyes. Afraid that she wouldn't feel the heat of his body against hers. Afraid that she won't feel his soft lips covering hers. Afraid that she won't hear his voice. Afraid that it will be the last time that she'll see him.

"What are you doing to me Phobos? Why are you hurting me? Why are you making me cry?" She said softly as she traced the structure of his face. He had never been more beautiful. It was her first time to see the Prince sleeping; and he was just so peaceful. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his forehead but immediately she shrieked as she felt strong hands pulled her towards the bed.

She jerked her eyes open and meets the cold gaze of Phobos' eyes. She almost screamed in surprise. Shouldn't he be sleeping? Or did he hear her words? Oh no, she'd be in deep trouble if the Prince learned that she _cares_ for him. Wait, no, she does not only care for him, she feels something else other than her stupid infatuation for the dark Prince. There was something else…. Something warmer….

"What are you doing!? You just recovered from being poisoned!" She shrieked as soon as she learned that the Prince is now awake. He just smiled slyly like nothing bad happened to him. How can he act like this? Does he not know that she almost had a heart attack because she was worried? How can he even smile after this? "You bastard!" She angrily muttered and tried to hit him on his chest but he was able to dodge from her attack and he hurriedly snatched her arm and with one swift move, she was now trapped below his body again.

"What are you doing?" She asked confusingly. But gulped as soon as she saw the flame on his eyes. "Let go of me!" She screamed again and tried to kick him but it was with no avail, she had to admit that the man was stronger than her and any forms of struggling will surely hurt her and won't help.

"I've waited for so long guardian. I don't care about the damned wedding rituals here. I want you to be mine." He said before crushing her lips into a passionate and rude kiss, drowning her with pleasure. She was almost intoxicated by the taste of alcohol in his lips and completely forgot that the man was earlier poisoned. Everything happened so fast and her mind was dazed.

His hands became restless and were soon touching her body. She gulped. Was she ready for this? She was a virgin for crying out loud and she wants to give it as a _gift_ for her husband on their wedding night but now, now how dare this guy steal it away from her? Well, who is she to complain? Besides they will still soon marry. So why stop him when deep inside she also wants to do it. She also wants to offer him her hidden treasure.

She didn't notice that he had successfully removed all of her clothing; her mind had completely forgotten to work as she fell into the delights of his hands and lips touching the most sensitive places of her body. She groaned as he moved away from her but it was only for him to remove his own clothes.

She gulped as soon as she saw his muscular body. Oh, he was just so wonderful and his beauty can be compared to those perfect statues in museums and in Greece. He was more of a god than human and his beauty cannot be compare to Caleb, in front of her was a man and not a boy. She blushed.

"What are you doing to me guardian?" He said as he soon went back to her. His lips began to invade her neck. "Why do I want you to be mine alone?" He whispered in his velvety voice and her mind cannot anymore process everything that's happening. She can't stop it. She wants it. She wants him. She does not care about any consequences after this night. All she wanted was to finally give herself to the man she _loves._

Love? Yes, she had to admit that she was in love with him. She realized it when she saw him, lying on the floor unconscious. She was just so afraid that she'll lose him. She can't bear to lose him. _She loves him._

And now, she was ready to offer herself to him. Let him drown in pleasure as he touched her body.

She inhaled sharply as she felt it inside of her. Pain. There was pain, like someone was tearing her apart from the outside towards the inside. Tears formed in her eyes but it warm hands were then drying it up for her, followed by sweet gentle kisses she didn't expect the tyrant could do. The pain was then changed into something. Something even nicer. Hot and gentler. She moaned in pleasure.

Soon everything became hazy and all she can see is the face of her beloved, his eyes bore into her and he moved. Pants, grunts, soft moans, and silly sounds had filled the chambers of the Prince of Meridian that night. Soon there was light. And she felt that her body twitch, her soul was now in the clouds. Heaven.


	9. Chapter 9: Framed

**_Chapter 9_**

* * *

Dark. It was dark and cold and there was silence except for the small squeaks of the rats running around the wet corners of the small room. No, it wasn't even a room at all. It was a prison. A dark and cold prison and she shivered as the cold wind came in through the small gaps that also the only thing that lets her know if it was evening or day time.

How many minutes have passed? Hours? Days? Months? How long has she been lying around here? She wrapped her arms around her legs and quietly sobbed. Never in her life had she felt this too much fear. Was it the end for her? She was now waiting for someone to grab her and take her to Phobos, who will surely give her the punishment of the lifetime.

Yet, she was innocent. She didn't even come near the Prince at all, she was just there watching the festivities and chatting with her friends and trying to get Cornelia's attention. But no, she was now framed for trying to assassinate her _former_ enemy.

And the worst thing is that it was Cornelia who wrapped them in vines and ordered Cedric to send them to prison. What happened to their friend? Has Phobos finally succeeded in poisoning her mind? Did she just lose her friend to evil?

No, Cornelia was way too noble to give in to the dark side. She knew her all too well. They had been close. Perhaps.

And she sobbed violently. All she wanted was just to know if their friend was safe, if she was still alive and Phobos didn't hurt her at all. _But now…._

"Will? Is that you?" She hiccupped as she heard someone call her name. She opened her eyes and only the darkness welcomed her.

"Who is there?" she called out and from the corner of the room a small fire lit up, illuminating the space they are in. From there she saw her friend, Taranee, the fire guardian. She was curled into a ball in the farther corner of the room. She crawled towards her.

"What happened? Where are the others?" she finally asked when she was near. The fire guardian sighed and she noticed that her eyes were puffy. It seems like she didn't sleep at all or maybe she was crying in fear.

"The guards took them to the throne room. Phobos seemed to be interrogating them after what happened two days ago." Taranee said and she gasped. _Two days?_ They have been here for two days? But how come she didn't notice?

"But why didn't they take me? I was the one blamed for the attempted assassination." She asked the girl but Taranee just shrugged, so she also had no idea why they were still here.

"Maybe Phobos took a break for a while, Cedric can't just move without his master so he can't just question us without the Prince." Taranee suggested. Yes, it must be true. But how about Cornelia?

"Any news about Cornelia?" she finally asked and the fire guardian frowned.

"There's that. I can't still believe that she'll betray us for Phobos. She clearly knows that we are not to blame for poisoning the prince. Still…" She wasn't able to continue as the doors opened and some monster like guards pushed Hay Lin and Irma inside. And to their surprise, there were no scratch on the bodies of their friends but the two seems to be exhausted.

"What happened?" She then asked the newcomers who were now slowly waking towards their places.

"Phobos took us into interrogation. He wanted to know what kind of poison we put in his drink and what motivated us to do such thing." Irma scowled and hissed as she tried to sit.

"But how come you're unscathed?" She asked curiously. Irma sighed.

"I would prefer the physical way of torture but Phobos seemed to enjoy tormenting us mentally and physically." The water guardian said. So Phobos used mental torture to make them spill the beans. She does not know how it feels like but it seems to be scary. "And aside from that he slowly drained our powers."

"And Cornelia?" She didn't mind her friend's last words. Irma's face soured. It seems like she was still angry with Cornelia.

"We haven't seen her in the throne room. She is somewhere inside the castle and probably wanted to avoid us after her betrayal."

"Cornelia didn't betray us! I saw it with my own two eyes; she was in pain when she wrapped us in vines." Hay Lin exclaimed trying to defend the earth guardian. "I think she wanted to save us from Cedric." She then added. Perhaps it was true. But why imprison them when she can just let them go.

"But why would she send us to jail? And she didn't even try to come here and visit us. Explain what's going on." Taranee stated. Yes, that was true. They were here for two days but how come Cornelia never visited them when they were just inside the castles. Surely it wasn't that hard. Or maybe Phobos just doesn't want her to see them after what happened.

"Phobos may have prevented her from doing so." She said. Everyone became silent.

"But who would have framed you Will? Why did they frame you?" Hay Lin asked. That was also what's bothering her mind right now. Who framed her? Who put the poison? Her mind stopped as she remembered the invitation. There is a possibility that no one actually invited them to come but rather that person wanted to frame them for the attempted murder. Someone wants to kill Phobos and blame it on them.

"Someone who hates Phobos." She muttered softly and everyone turned to her, and looked at her suspiciously like she said something wrong.

"Who would that be?"

"Phobos has made a lot of enemies when he usurped the throne. Maybe someone wants to remove him from Elyon's way." She explained.

"If that's the case then Cornelia may also be in trouble!" Hay Lin exclaimed.

"Why?" Irma asked.

"Simple, Cornelia is Phobos' fiancée and since she will also become Queen once Phobos' succeeds surely someone would also try to attempt with her life." Taranee explained as she grasped on Hay Lin's words.

"Then Cornelia will most likely be a possible target." Irma said, Taranee and Hay Lin nodded. "Wow, I guess I'm lucky Phobos didn't choose me as his bride." The brunette joked and they all frowned at her words. If it was another day and another situation, they would have laughed at her but no, they was a way serious issue that can't be solve with one joke.

"Guys. We need to be vigilant. Cornelia is in trouble and we need to find out who framed us and who is behind of all of this." She finally spoke. Everyone nodded and then they decided that it was time for them to rest. There is a chance that Phobos will take another one of them tomorrow and will be brought to questioning. They will need all of their strength. They need to save Cornelia.

* * *

What do you think?


	10. Chapter 10: Beanstalk

_**Chapter 10**_

* * *

Cornelia paced her room back and forth. She kept thinking on how she can free her friends but how can she help them when she is also imprisoned in her room for three effin days!?

Her fiancée had ordered the guards stationed in her rooms not to let her out unless he ordered them so. Somehow he doesn't want her to be a part of his little "interrogation" of her friends. She already told him several times that it is impossible for them to poison him because it wasn't their character to do so.

The man however didn't try to listen to her and after the _night_ that they spent together he hasn't even showed up in her apartments yet! She was just so furious with him that if she had Taranee's power she could have burned him to ashes the moment she sees him!

Why does he refuse to listen? It's not like she was betraying him by siding with the people who "poisoned" him. She knew that her fiancée also knows that it is impossible for her friends to get that lethal poison given that the physicians had collected samples left from the wine and they found out that the ingredients used were some rare and dangerous herbs that can only be found in the depths of the Meridian forests. Surely they won't be able to retrieve that unless she helps them!

She was the guardian of Earth and she can just conjure any plants that she wants even those ingredients for the deadly poison so if he suspects someone then why not suspect her too? Besides right now, she had all sorts of ideas on how she can kill him for trying to touch her friends!

She sighed. Is there a chance that she could change this aloof, self-centered, arrogant and deaf Prince? She does not know but she also thinks that it was possible but with a lot of patience and understand. However she no longer had patience with him. If he won't let her out then she'll find a way. After all, she is still guardian! She had powers and why not use them?

She silently went to the balcony of her room and concentrated on the nearest vine she can find. The vine moved to her direction and she touched it and enlarged its size so it can handle her weight. Her room was a few meters above the ground and she doesn't want to break any bones or attend her wedding in a wheel chair so she needed to be careful!

Satisfied with her work, she rummaged the bed side table to find a pair of scissors. Today she was wearing a simple blue long gown and the length of its hem hinders her from moving freely so she decided to rip it off.

She then took a cloak from her wardrobe and wrapped it on her back. Hopefully, no one notices her climbing down her own room. She will need to do it quickly and discreetly. She imagined how her fiancée will react if he knew that she tried to escape from her captivity. She chuckled as the image of the angry prince entered her mind. For some reasons, she thinks that he looks funny when angry. His cold emerald eyes somewhat darkens, his face red and his nostrils glaring but she quickly removed the image from her mind.

If she thinks of him while climbing down, she won't be able to concentrate and will just fall down. She took a deep breath before wrapping herself on the enlarge vine. When she arrived in Meridian, she thought she already lived the life of a fairy tale Princess minus a gallant and charming Prince, she unluckily was stuck with a devilishly handsome Prince with demonic attitude. Now, she wasn't just a princess but now she became Jack in the Beanstalk, unfortunately for her, there wasn't any gold on the ground just pure mud.

She hated dirt; she hated mud, worms and other filthy things. It was ironic because she was the guardian of Earth but still, she was in love with her powers. Why not? It was one of the most powerful elements; she can move mountains, create gaps in the ground, conjure earthquakes, grew dangerous plants and of course there is beauty in it as she can also produce different sorts of beautiful and deadly plants. In short, her powers can bring destruction yet it can also bring beauty and replenish what's lost.

She grunted silently and hissed as the rough stem of the plants started to scratch her thin hands. She bit her lip when she accidentally touched a thorn. She needed to go down rapidly to stop it from bleeding. It took her a couple more minutes before she finally touched the ground.

She ripped her skirt again and tied the cloth to her bleeding hand. She then hurried to hide under the bushes when she saw soldiers marching near her area. She hurriedly flicked her hand and the vine again glued on the wall. When the soldiers had passed by, she quietly marched to the eastern side of the castle where the doors to the dungeons are found. Luckily there were a few numbers of soldiers today, so she didn't have trouble hiding away from them.

She took a deep breath as she stood in front of the metal door leading to the prisons. There was a small gap on the door where she can peak in to see what's inside. She tip toed and checked the area before pushing the door open.

There were a couple of doors inside and she can't figure where they were and she needed to remove the guards. No, she can just let them sleep. She closed her eyes and opened her mind to her element. _I need a plant that can make these ugly men sleep._ She thought.

"Earth." She hissed softly and then some groans can be heard from the other side of the door and some soft popping noises. She took a small peek but the room was covered with green smoke so she can't see anything. She waited for a few more minutes until the smoke settled.

Then she entered the room and she frowned as it was disgustingly filthy unlike her chambers. She took a torch from the wall and started walking towards the small doors.

"Will? Irma? Taranee? Hay Lin?" She called out but no one seems to answer. She in a loud voice repeated calling her friends again. _Was she inside the wrong dungeons?_ It was impossible, this is where Phobos often keeps his prisoners and those he interrogates, so they should be here.

"C-cornelia?" She was relieved to hear Will's voice. It was coming from the farthest room on her left. She hurried towards a guard and took the key hanging on his side pants. She ran to the corner and pushed the key inside the hole and the door opened.

Another disgusting smell welcomed her and then darkness.

"Girls?" She called out. Then from another side of the room, a small fire lit up and tears fell down when she saw her four friends. Without any hesitations, she dropped the torch she was holding and ran to hug them. "Oh! I'm so worried about you girls!" She said while sobbing. The girls hugged her back and they were also crying in happiness when they saw her.

"Cornelia! I thought you already abandoned us!" Hay Lin exclaimed and wrapped her in a tight embrace. She smiled as she saw the relieved and worried faces of her friends. They all looked okay except that they were all filthy and smelly for not having a bath for several days. But she didn't mind hugging them. She badly missed them and she was sorry for making them suffer this humiliation!

"Well, I couldn't just leave my best girls." She said as she wiped the tears away from her face and moved to hug the others one by one. When they were done exchanging pleasantries the looks on their faces was changed in a more serious one.

"Sorry if it took so long before I could visit you. Phobos imprisoned me in my room and I just escaped to see you girls and check if you are all okay." She sighed as she looked at her bruised hand.

"Hey, you don't need to be sorry. We understand that you saved us from being snake- chow. Besides it was surprising that the lizard man was following your orders. I can't imagine him taking orders from girls." Irma commented but she disagreed with her idea.

"Hey, Cedric's not that bad. In fact he is even kinder than his master." She snorted at the water guardian. "But anyway, I still don't have any information who framed you for poisoning Phobos."

"We know, the guards were also talking about it the other day and we can hear their conversations here." Will answered. "Have you seen Caleb since the ball?" The red hair then asked and Cornelia lowered her eyes when she remembered her last meeting with the rebel leader. She had broken his heart but it was necessary. She once adored the man but she realized that she wasn't in love with him.

"Yeah." She replied bitterly and the girls seemed to notice that she wants to avoid the topic so they went to business again.

"So, who do you think wants to threaten Phobos' life?" Taranee asked her, and she shook her head. She had no idea who could be behind the attempted murder. Surely, her fiancée had gained a lot of enemies after he usurped the throne so there's no surprise if someone tries to kill him. It was shocking however that he wasn't able to feel the magic of the enemy when she was glamoured as Will.

"There's a chance that it's a magician." She answered after thinking about it for a while.

"Why do you think so?" Irma asked seriously.

"Phobos wasn't able to detect his or her magic that time when they were dancing with each other so surely it seems to be a big power player and not just a usual rebel." She explained. "Not only that, when the wine was examined, it was found out that the poison was made from really rare herbs found in the most dangerous places in Meridian so I doubt if a normal creature or human in Meridian can get a hold of it."

"But who could that be?" Hay Lin asked and they fell silent. They all had no idea who this mystery person is. Will then reached for her hand and gently pressed it.

"You have to be careful Cornelia. Since Phobos is the target of the culprit, there is a chance that he will turn to you. He would think that you will be a great value for Phobos because he chose you as his fiancée. So surely he will also come after you." The keeper said and she nodded. It was really possible and she can't help but be afraid for her life. She sighed but then she quickly recovered as she remembered the time.

"I need to get going and you also need to get out of here soon. I don't know how long I knocked out the guards but you all need to escape. Phobos doesn't listen to me and surely he will continue torturing you or let you rot in jail." She said as she helped them all up. The girls nodded and Will reached from the inside of her cloth for the heart of Kandrakar but she hurriedly stopped her friend.

"You need to transform outside and away from me. We could be seen here." She said and Will nodded. Then silently went out of the room, passing the still asleep guards. No one noticed them and they successfully reached the courtyards without being detected. Satisfied that they had come far, she bade her friends' good bye.

"I will see you again all. I plan to invite you to my wedding." She smirked.

"Ohh.. It seems like someone is exuyteeedd!" Irma teased and she felt herself blush at the statement. _If only you knew Irma. We had spent the honeymoon earlier than the wedding._ She thought to herself. She then started hugging her friends and after that she hurried back to the balcony of her room where she climbed the _beanstalk again._ She sighed as soon as she was near the fence but to the first thing that welcomed her was Phobos' angry face, staring at her from the balcony. He reached for her hand and she reluctantly gave it to him, gasping as their skin touched each other. He helped her up.

"We have a lot to talk about young lady." He said grimly and she gulped.


End file.
